Assistant Breeding Project Lead

Company Description

Syngenta is a global leader in agriculture; rooted in science and dedicated to bringing plant potential to life. Each of our 28,000 employees in more than 90 countries work together to solve one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: growing more food with fewer resources. A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace environment are enablers of our ambition to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture. Our employees reflect the diversity of our customers, the markets where we operate and the communities which we serve. Join us and help shape the future of agriculture. 

Job Description

The Assistant Breeding Project Lead role represents the interface between the R&D Crop Team Leadership (Breeding, Genetic, and Trait Project Leads) and BO. They ensure project execution in R&D meets the quality expectations set by the Project Lead of a given project and secures the high-quality data generation, storage and analysis for data driven development processes.

• Establish the different phenotyping needs and activities to secure trial data collection and data storage.
• Execute adequate trials and data analysis to support data driven decisions in the early development process (discovery to late stage trialing).
• Support the breeding plan execution through collaboration with the Project Team (Biological Operations (BO), Breeding Trial Specialists (BTS) and molecular marker lab) for project planning, initiation, execution, and closure. Act as primary contact and coordinator for all project team members. 
• Manage biological entities, data, and records for the R&D Crop Team in Syngenta approved information systems: breeding data updates in SPIRIT seed inventory in MINT, and technical data for PMD updates. Manage trial administration, seed stocks and seed productions related to the projects. This includes seed health, organization of seed transfers, and traceability.

Accountabilities

• Organize trial data collection, data management, storage and analysis (discovery to late stage trialing).
• Collaboration with BO through timely planning and clear guidance on crop management requests.
• Data collection and administration in SPIRIT and MINT
• Prototype trial data collection and observation. Prescreening: preselection and reporting according BPL guidelines, including data analysis
• Organize prototype testing with operations and BTS
• Basic knowledge of market request, product profiles and breeding targets. 
• Secure crop process from sowing to harvest: planning, request, sowing list and/or planting list, organize pollination plan, harvest list, and seed health prevention measures.
• Establish and maintain good relationships with external cooperators. 
• Organize marker assisted selection logistics: box plan, sampling, information MM lab, tool use for plant selection, plant selection, labeling.
• Manage seed productions and seed stocks 
• Secure seed logistic and seed transfer according to internal rules in collaboration with operations.
• Keep informed about new technologies and techniques in the area of responsibility
• Implement new and apply supporting technologies in breeding program
• Provide technical data to breeder in support of variety advancement in PMD
• Regular reporting to project leads, with frequency to be defined by relevant project lead(s). Proactively escalate problems that need project lead attention.
• Develop excellence within Associate Scientist community across crops and stations

Qualifications

Critical Knowledge & Education:  

• BSc (required, w/ 3-5 yrs experience)/MSc (preferred) degree in genetics, plant breeding, or plant sciences
• Current knowledge of plant biology, genetics and breeding
• Advanced knowledge of trial design, data management, data analysis and statistics
• Basic knowledge of plant pathology and of plant health related to identifying abnormal plant behavior due to biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Good knowledge of agronomic techniques, plant cultivation and crop handling relevant to the assigned crop
• Good understanding of new product/process implementation in commercial environment

Critical Skills: 

• Proactive attitude and a strong motivation towards working with plants. 
• Ability to manage and analyze large data sets
• Strong in use of computers and to work disciplined with database management
• Ability to work in a multicultural, de-centralized and multifunctional team
• Ability/willingness to travel regionally and occasionally globally
• High attention to detail and consistency in performance
• Open to demands on deliverables and to resource reallocation if necessary
• Ability to learn and